Ever the Same
by Life is not an Lullaby
Summary: "I almost lost it today." He whispered his voice tainted with something she could not exactly place and this caused her to pause. "What do you mean?" She probed. "I mean today for just a second. I..." He broke stay not looking her way. "You?" She placed her cup of tea down and waited. "I lost who the Doctor was."
1. Chapter 1

Ever the Same

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**Disclaimer:** Doctor Who does not belong to me. I am just borrowing the characters for a bit.

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Chapter 1: Down the rabbit hole

He does not remember how he ended up at her door. Yet here he stood upon the two-story brick house stairs, torn between two choices. Should he should knock or just returned to his Tardis once more and make believed everything was okay? He could go with the first choice because that was what he was good at…pretend. He could make believe to have no need for anyone. Make believe his life was fun and not full of death, destruction, and loneliness. Make believe he did not have a hole, an ache, in his heart. Make believe he did not need a home or craved a place he once fled.

'Gallifrey' His mind whispered and he flinched. An image of a planet with two suns engulfed in flames filled his mind.

Make believed there was not a void in his soul because of what he had done. The 1000 year old or was that 935 year old man pressed his lips together.

Alternatively, he could open up like he did that evening under the two suns of new new new new York and let someone in. Let someone else take this burden that was his life upon their shoulders and help lessen it a bit, because it had become a bit too much for him to bear alone…

He clutched his left fist and a dark look crossed his face.

Alone… how he hated that word. No! More than, hated it. He despised it. This was the reason he sorted out companions in exchange for adventures and traveling the universe even though he knew the danger he placed them in every time they traveled with him. He couldn't stand to be alone so he risked their lives every times. And every time fate would played a cruel joke upon him and ripped them from his side one way or the other.

An image of a petite blond filled his mind followed by a fiery red hair then many others. All echoed the same statement.

'I will travel with you forever,'

The young man in the brown trench coat blinked and raised his right arm to knock, as he does a voice echoed though his mind that caused him to pause.

'You are the bringer of death,' it whispered to him. 'You are the cause those close to you get hurt and kill. You destroy lives. She escaped you once. Do you really want to destroy her life so much?'

The man arm fell back down to his side, he turned around and begun to walk down the stairs and headed for the street. His decision made. Pretend he will and must.

* * *

She stared at the white walls of her bedroom, her eye's distance. Her mind was searching, wondering over what could have been. Besides her laid a white, beautiful, lovely wedding gown. It was her gown, the one she will never wear. One because there was no need, the groom was dead, and two it was a painful reminder of what could have been.

Mind absence from reality, the dark skin woman pulled the diamond engagement ring on her finger off and on. It had been a gift from her finance the day of their first year anniversary as a promised to her that he was forever and so where their relationship. He had presented it to her during a dinner date at one of London finest restaurant. It had been one of the most magical nights of her life. He had done everything right that night. From getting the band to play her favorite music, to sending her favorite flowers earlier that day, to having the restaurant staff do a little show in which at the end they posted up a sign that read 'Will you marry me Martha Jones?" However, the best part was when he had got down on one knee and posed the question himself with the ring in hand. How she had adore him like no other at that moment. Yes. More than the Doctor himself.

A sad smile graced her lips and the woman pulled her leg closed to herself and begun to shook all over. Despite her body reaction as if she was weeping yet not a drop of tears fell from her eyes. Her doctor self-told her it is because she was stay in shock from the news. Yet her heart told her this was the man she had planned to spend her whole life with in sickness and in health, in rich and in poor. She should weep like her soul had never. Yet nothing...

Martha Jones untangled herself, stepped down from her bed and headed for her bathroom because life must go on. She is half way to the door when a ring filled the air and broke the silence in the room.

_I'm bringing sexy back_

_Yeah!_

_Them other boys don't know how to act_

_Yeah!_

_I think you're special, what's behind your back?_

_Yeah!_

_So turn around and I'll pick up the slack._

_Yeah!_

She paused, turned around and begun to searched the room for her cell phone. She located it upon her dresser next to her bed. It is a red iPhone 3. She approached, picked it and pressed talk. She did not need to see the caller id to know who it was.

"What do you want Jack?" she greeted as she pressed the phone to her ears. She does not have time for him or Torchwood right now as much as she loved him as a friend.

"Nightingale!" He returned her greeting chirpily then… "I…"

The young woman pressed her lips together. The is something about the way her friend broke of mid-sentence that clue her in that whatever it was he was going to say was not going to be what she would like to heard at the moment.

"Yes. Jack?"

There was a silence then…

"Do you remember Donna Noble?"

"Yeah…" She said and wondered where this was heading. Donna Noble was a mature red hair she last saw with the doctor a bit over two days ago. There older woman had been sweet and kind and a bit loud but all in good spirit sort of liked her Aunt June in America. "Last I remember she was traveling with the Doctor as a companion."

Another paused.

"…Well…" The was a shifted of weight on the other end of the line. "Not anymore."

"Not anymore?" Martha inquired. She wondered what happened. Donna had looked like the type who enjoyed her travels with the Doctor and seems to have a generally good relationship with him. "What do you mean?"

"That's what I wanted to talk to you about." Jack said there was a bit of weariness in his voice that had not been there before. "You remember how she became part time lord?"

"Yeah…"

"Well it seems it was not good for her. I do not know the full story but it seems her brain overloaded with too much knowledge and in order to stop her from dying the Doctor had to erase her mind of everything related to time traveling which means all of her adventures with the Doctor and the Doctor himself."

"It can't be!"

"Yeah…" The agent of Torchwood continued.

"But…" The young woman said, her mind already two steps ahead. "What does that have to do with me? I mean I made be good as a doctor but he is better and if he could not solve it then neither can I Jack. You know that."

"Yeah. I know. But that isn't the reason I am calling for nightingale."

"Then what Jack? Because I have a funeral service to attend to if you haven't forgotten."

"…I...I haven't." The Brunette said then paused again. Martha heard a sighted and felt a bad feeling in her stomach. Jack was never much of the serious kind not unless something awful was involved or he was pushed to his limits. "It is just the others are a bit concern and so am I."

"Others?" she pushed. "What do you mean? Concern about what?"

"The Doctor, Martha, we are a bit concern about him and the others agencies fear that this might have precautions down the road. And this is between me and you but they would rather not be named just yet for fear of what happen to Harriet Jones befalling them if the Doctor gets a sense of this. "

Martha eyes narrowed. She can guess Jack reason for calling her all of a sudden. "I see."

"Yeah…" He continued. "I am sorry. I know this is not what you need right now. However, there is no one else. Rose is in another dimension. Donna cannot remember him. Sara Jane is having problems of her own. Not saying of course, you do not. He believed Mickey is an idiot and moreover he does not trust me. We both know that. Not after the whole Torchwood thing. This leaves you Martha Jones. I am sorry."

She sighted. Of course, it always left her. "What do you want me to do?"

"Nothing big." Jack answered. "Just you know call him and get him to talk. Please."

"You mean be his shrink?"

"Yeah. If you want to put it that way. Yeah."

"How bad is it?" She whispered. She knew Jack cared too much for her to put her in this situation if the wasn't a need for her. So she wanted to know.

"Bad."

Martha nodded then answered."...Alright I will give him a call."

"Thanks. I owe you one and so does the universe." Jack said then hanged up. Left to her own thoughts, Martha wondered what the brunette meant by the universe owe her one as well.

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**Author: Alright so I edited it up a bit.**


	2. Chapter 2

Ever the Same

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**Disclaimer:** Doctor Who does not belong to me. I am just borrowing the characters for a bit.

* * *

Chapter 2: Static

Jack placed the phone back down on his desk and in its place. Before him are multiple files all title "The Z Project" in multiples languages both known to humankind and unknown. It is what was in these files that had promoted him to call Martha Jones with the full knowledge that what she needed now was a break and not this. Especially after she had just learned about the death of the man Tom -she had planned to settle down with and have little babies with- at the hands of the Daleks. She had saved the world but lost something precious in the process and this time there was no reset button. She needed time to grieve and mourn after all Tom did just plunder to his death only two days ago and she had only just learned of it the night before. However, that was just it there was not much time. Sacrifices had to be made for the greater good. Her life and pain had to be placed on hold because humanity needed her once more, he needed her once more.

The young American ran his fingers though his brown locks and smiled wearily. After all if the was anyone capable of doing this it was her. She had done it once before, walked the earth to do the impossible… bring hope to mankind and in turn help saved them. That was why he had pulled strings to get the others to at least give her a chance to prevent what he believed to be the biggest tragedy in history. Because in all truth he believed in her, yes even more then the Doctor he believed in her. Moreover, he knew he wasn't the only one who thought so. Before she had lost herself to the time lord part of herself and her memories erased, Donna Noble had told him as much. Martha Jones was a force to be reckon with, a person capable of doing the impossible and that was what the world needed at the moment, what he needed. Even if it was not what she needed.

* * *

He paced the Tardis control room floor, wondering rather to pick up the cellular device laying upon the control panels or not. On one hand, all he wanted to do was crawl up in some corner, let the universe passed him by, and let what will happen well happen. After all, he did not always need to be the big darn hero all the time. The universe had been doing well long before he started this journey of his and it would continue to be long after him. However, on the other hand the cell phone had been ringing now stop for ten minutes now. In other words the universe would not let him go.

The Doctor sighted leaned forward and picked up the phone, a tight smile on his face. He took a deep breath and prepared to do what he does best…pretend.

"Martha Jones!" He greeted in his most chirpily of voice. It was a bit high and to his ears it sounded feign but he hoped she wouldn't notice. "What do I owe the pleasure? Wait! Don't tell me. Daleks in London? Sontaran in Space? Judoon? Or-"

"Doctor," the young woman on the other end of the line spoke cutting him off. There is something about the way she said his name that give him paused, the Doctor run his fingers gently though his hair. It was bad news he could feel it.

"Yes?"

"Tom is dead." She answered in reply, her voice void of all emotions yet spoke so much volume. Martha Jones was a lot of things but emotionless she was not. He knew that. She was the woman who wept over strangers and strange beings from other planets death. Yet she sounded so composed as she spoke of her Fiance death. Liked she had stated the weather outside. It unnerved him.

No! His mind shouted as his mouth move to form one word. "How…?"

"It was…It was the Daleks, Doctor." She whispered and the Doctor felt a shape pain surged his heart. The Daleks it was always the Daleks. His people lost forever yet somehow they - the Daleks- always came back and caused more harm.

"I am sorry." He whispered as his heart reached out to the petite woman. He understood her pain oh so well. "I am so sorry."

"We were to marry soon." She continued as if she had not heard him. And probably she had not. "Even had the date planned out, you know?"

"I know." He answered though he did not know. All he knew was that she was engaged not that the dates had been set too. It seems too soon but she was human and time was on neither of their sides. So he did not object.

"He was so young." She muttered and he detected a trembled in her voice. The first sign of a hint of any emotions then it was gone. He frowned.

"I know."

"And so kind and bright and beautiful. He could have done so much more. Help so many more."

"I know." The Doctor closed his eyes in pain. His own anguish fresh in his mind as he recalled a planet with two suns burning mingled with imagines of companions past gone. "It is always the best ones that die too soon"

There was a paused. A dreadful paused the Doctor wished was broken as soon as it landed. A voice ringed through his mind. "Gallifrey is falling! Falling! "It shouted and he all of a sudden felt a need for a distraction. He shifted in his place and opened his eyes. Thoughts of staying put absented from his mind. He was grateful she called.

"Doctor?" Martha spoke

"Yeah?" He answered and shifted again.

"I am not okay."

He breathed. "I know."

"I need you."

He eyes widen; there is a sort of fear in them. "Martha…"

"I can't do this alone." She said quickly, a bit too quickly but he ignored it. "Not again. Not so soon."

Images of a time that does not exist blazed through his mind and his hands trembled. A soft regret passed through him. "I…"

"Don't let me do this this alone."

He closed his eyes once more and bites his lips. What could he say to that? He changed the coordinates on the monitor.

"I am on my way." He replied because even though he had his own tortures he would not say no to a mate in distress not after what he made her gone through. Time and Donna had helped him see that.

"Thank you." Martha said before she hanged up. Left to his own thoughts and the Tradis, the Doctor wondered about his life and the people who came and when, wondered if it was worthy it by letting them come with him, by tempting them just so he would not be alone.

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**Author : Well here is chapter 2, hope you liked it. **


	3. Chapter 3

Ever the Same

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**Disclaimer:** Doctor Who does not belong to me. I am just borrowing the characters for a bit.

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Chapter 3: Stir

Martha placed her cell phone down on the dresser and glanced up at her reflection. Her reflection glared back, eyes emptied. She smiled and her reflection smiled back.

"What a sore sight we are" She spoke to herself as she stroked her fingers though her messed up hair and her reflection simply glared back sadly at her. She snorted then turned and headed for her closet. Sometime we laughed when all we want to do is cry. Downstairs in the formal living room, the grandfather clock rang twelve times to signal the hour.

Martha pushed the door to her closet opened and entered. She moved though the sea of colors and textures until she come crossed a small black dress in the back by itself. It is the one she worn for her grandmother -from her mother side - funeral a few years back. It held so many memories.

She closed her eyes, moved her fingers forward and touched the soft velvet material. The memories started to marched, pushed, moved against the surface of her mind. It were memories she had not accessed since the night she found her maternal grandmother dead body on their family couch one Sunday morning. In her mind eye she see an old woman deck in yellow laid flat in a casket, eyes closed. Followed by an image of the same old woman eyes opened wild, void of life. Then images of people-all colors and shape- screaming, burning, dying filled her mind.

Her eyes snapped opened, she flinched took a stepped back and swallowed. She quickly sidestepped the dress and picked up a different one instanced. She was not ready for those memories just yet.

Bleakly, Martha looked around her closet and the dress upon more then stepped out. She quickly headed to her bathroom to take a shower and prepared herself. She needed to hurry. She needed to be ready before the Doctor arrived. Funerals services did not prepared themselves and since neither her nor her dead groom to be nor had his parents thought to prepared in advance just in case, all the arrangement had to now be made by her and his family. Though it was the family responsibility to arrange the funeral, Tom mother had believed it a good idea to have Martha join the family in preparation since if things had played out differently she would have been the one to do the arrangement.

Once she completed her shower, changed her clothes and fixed her hair, Martha stepped out of the bathroom and just in time because as she did two things happened. One was the doorbell to her home ranging and the other a howling, wheezing, groaning sound of the Tradis. By her bedside, the clock read 12: 30.

* * *

Tish Jones watched as her mother pressed the doorbell of her little sister home again, a bit impatiently. She wondered if she should, warned her mother that Martha might not be coming as fast to answer as usual because she was not prepared nor in the mood for company. However, she thought better of it because she knew it was these exact reasons her mother was so concerned.

Tish pressed her lips together and glared up at the window on the second floor she believed was her sister room. She was not sure because Martha had only gotten the house a month ago and since the open house party and a few spaced visits, she had not been over as much so she did not know the place well. She understood it as Martha way of telling Tom that no matter what he always had a home to come home that was not his parents or her parents but their. She was not sure.

"She's taking too long," Francine said. To Tish her voice held a sort of valuables to it. The sort someone who knew lost and sadness had to cope with. To the world, she looked like an angry woman but to her their mother was just a broken person. Tish removed her eyes from the window and touched her mother arms to bring them down from the doorbell that Francine was now frantically pressing.

"It's okay. She will come." Tish whispered as the door finally opened to present Martha and behind her, the Doctor.

"Hello" Martha greeted. She appeared a bit irked before her eyes landed upon their mother. She smiled and engulfed her mother and sister in a bear hug. "Mum. Tish. Sorry was in the toilet. What are doing here?"

"What do you mean? What am I doing here? "Francine asked as her eyes zoomed in on the Doctor who was looking anywhere but at them. "I am your mother! What is he doing here?"

Martha averted her mother eyes and Tish understood in an instanced what her mother did not.

"I sorry mum. Usually you, Tish, Leo and dad call ahead." Martha whispered and looked down. "Would you like to come in?"

Their mother said nothing and stepped into the house where she headed straight for the kitchen or what she thought was the kitchen. Trish left on the stairs by herself, smiled at both her sister and the Doctor and stepped in.

"Sorry" she said and followed her mother.

She found her in the kitchen already making tea. It is her way of coping with most things. It is the way she coped when her own mother had die and the way she coped when her husband had left her. In addition, the way she coped now at the thought that her little girl did not turned to her in her own times of need. That their relationship had changed.

Few minutes later Martha and the Doctor entered as well. A suffocating silence filled the room then…

"Why didn't you called me?" Francine questioned. Tish know in that question is all the insecurities of her mother since their grandmother death.

"Because I saw you two days ago, mum." Martha replied as she took a seat at the kitchen counter. The Doctor followed suite and Tish cannot helped but wondered why he was here now. He and Martha were not that closed the last she checked. Not after the year that never was when Martha had choose to stay behind instance of going on more adventures with the Doctor.

"Yes! But you know what I mean."

"…" Martha looked down at hands. "Sorry I haven't had time to call"

Francine scowled. "You had time to call him." She said and waved in the Doctor direction. The Doctor shifted uncomfortably in his place.

"Mum" Tish said. She can sensed this might not be sure a good move on her mother path at least not with a stranger in their presence. She glanced again at the Doctor and wondered when he would take the hint and excused himself so they can speak in private.

Francine ignored her warning and continued. "Why did not you call me when you learned he was dead?"

"I… I was going to mum but work and...The fact I just learned about it and haven't process it yet."

"But you could have call."

"I'm sorry. I know."

Tish noted their mother shoulders relaxed and she sighted.

"It's okay baby girl." Francine reassured her youngest daughter. "Have Julie and Tom Milligan call to tell you their plans for the funeral?"

"They have" Martha admitted as she stood. She headed to their mother and warped her arms around her. Tish noted the Doctor eyebrow raised at the scene. To outsiders like the Doctor it made looked strange but this was how things had always been in their family. "That was where I was heading before you came. I am sorry I did not call. Would you liked to come? To the funeral arrangements I mean?"

"Yes." Their mother said then. "I am sorry. I just-"

"I know."

And like that, the tension was defused. Tish watched as her mother and sister separated and her mother turned to looked at the Doctor once more, there was something in her eyes that Tish noted as jealousy. Martha had called the Doctor and not their mother when the news of Tom had reached her and she had planned to attend the funeral arrangements with him. Her mother and Martha had always held a closed relationship more so then she, Tish, and their mother. She was daddy girl after all. However, Martha had been their mother's daughter. To the point that Martha told her mother everything, well almost everything. She stay had not told her about her and the Doctor relationship as well as their mother would like. Nevertheless, everything else since their youth.

The Doctor for his credit smiled back at their mother and said.

"Hello" In that hyperactive way he always spoke

* * *

**Author: Well here is chapter 3. If anyone is wondering this is after "Journey End." Um...Thank you all who actually read this story. I hope you like this chapter as much as I loved writing it. **


	4. Chapter 4

Ever the Same

* * *

**Disclaimer:** Doctor Who does not belong to me. I am just borrowing the characters for a bit.

* * *

Chapter 4: Blink

They watched though the black van window as the blue SUV pulled away with three women and a man inside. Sergeant John Rogers nodded the signal for his men to advance. His second in command pulled out his radio and passed on the message. A crossed the road two vans pulled up and ten men –five from each- stepped out, they are docked in black. Sergeant John Rogers's door opened and he along with his second stepped out as well. The ten men from the two lined up before them in single file lines. Sergeant Rogers smiled.

"You know the drill, men" He spoke. "It is a quick get in, place the bugs and get out with none the wisest. Got it?"

"Yes Sir!" Ten voices echoed and Rogers nodded once more. He was pleased.

"Alright get to work before you draw anymore attentions to us." He said though he already knew that all the people in the neighborhood had been told to leaved because of a unspecified threat. His men stepped up the two story brick house with the name plat above the side of the door that read "Jones-Milligan " and entered. He did know the reasons his higher ups had choose to monitor this home but that wasn't his job to know his job was to get his men to set up the system, watched and reported.

* * *

The blue SUV pulled up to a large flat and parked. Out stepped the Doctor, Martha, her sister and mother.

"Alright, here we are" Martha spoke as she headed for the building. The flat building belong to the Milligan's and whenever they visited the city from the country side were their homes resided, they always took up the top floor of this building on Portland place or the one on south Nothing Hill. They were visiting when the stolen earth incident had happen. "Portland Place, London W1B 5TR"

The three others followed her. She entered the apartment and headed for the front desk. Seated in the receptionist area was a young woman of Scottish heritages. Her name was Sophia Pond or so her breast plat said. She was new.

"Yes?"

"Here to see Tom senior and Julie Milligan," Martha said, took out her id and presented it. Miss Pond glanced over her id once and nodded.

"Right. Miss Jones you made go up. They have been awaiting your arrival." Then turned and looked at the three behind her. "Are they?"

Martha looked to where her eyes had landed and nodded. "Yes. They are with me."

"Name and relationship?"

"Francine Jones. I am Martha mother." Francine spoke.

"Tish Jones. Older sister." Sophia wrote something down and looked back up at the Doctor who had drifted a bit to stared at a painting on the wall. As if he had sensed her glanced he turned and looked the young woman way.

"Name and relationship sir?"

"Oh the Doctor." He said then paused looked Martha way and continued. "I guess you would say friend of the family."

"Right? But Doctor who?"

"Just the Doctor." He answered then returned to his investigation of the painting.

Sophia raised her eyebrows and looked toward Martha. The young black woman sighted.

"It's Doctor John Smith." She said. Sophia nodded once again and smiled. She understood the other woman feelings. Doctor John smith seems liked a hand full.

"Right. Go on up."

With that the gang headed for the elevator, Martha in the led followed by her mother and sister then the Doctor who casted one last looked at the painting before he followed.

* * *

Edward Blank, the new hire janitor, watched the group of four entered the elevator then placed his mop down opened his cell phone and quickly dialed a number. It took one ring and then a voice answered.

"Welcome to Unit or the united nations intelligence taskforce. Who might I ask is speaking and how may I help you?"

"Codename: Thunder and I would like to speak with Captain Matthew Winfred."

There was a paused then. "Very well please hold."

It was not long before someone picked up on the other end and answered.

"Yes?"

"Field report sir. " Edward said as he kept an eye on Sophia. The red hair glanced his way once but said nothing.

"Go on."

"You were right. He did came with her."

"So he was with them? I see." There was a paused. "Did you note anything of interest?"

"Yes." Edward paused. "He seems strange, a bit off."

"Strange? A bit off? What do you mean?" There was a paused. "You have read the files right? He is always strange."

"Yes I have" The blond hair said slowly. "It's just it seems like he was a bit more strange than usual. How do I put it this way…? He kept on looking at the painting on the wall."

"The painting on the wall?" Captain Winfred scoffed. "That is not strange maybe he like the painting or knew the painter"

"It wasn't like that sir…It seems like he was searching for something."

"I see." The captain said then." Keep up the good work agent."

"Yes. Sir." Edward said and hanged up.

* * *

The Doctor shifted where he stood near the doors of the elevator and waited like the other three for the moving box to stop. He listened to Francine and Tish make small conversations about something that happen earlier or something. He like Martha did not paid any heed. It was not his place anyways. Instanced he allowed his mind to returned to the painting on the wall down in the lobby. He did not know what it was but something about it seems -for a second - off.

Ding!

The elevator stopped and the doors opened.

The Doctor quickly stepped out, closely behind him Tish and Francine followed then finally yet importantly by Martha.

"This way," Martha spoke and he followed the three women as they headed toward a green door at the end of the hall to their right. As they walked, he noticed the many paintings of the same people lined the walls only at different ages. It is a painting of a family of five, a mum and a dad with two sons and a daughter. He assumed it is the Milligan because Tom or what look like him is among them.

Martha stopped and the groups stopped, she raised her arms and knocked. A few moments later, the door opened and a tall middle age black haired beauty answered.

"Oh Martha." Julie Milligan hugged her could have been daughter in law, her cheeks stained with tears. "Oh Martha."

Martha padded the other woman back and tried her best to comfort her but all she could uttered was…"I know. I know." Her voice trembled each time.

The Doctor watched the scene as his mind returned to a time when she had held him like that, like his mother under the two suns. He blinked, placed his hands in his pockets, shifted from right to left and looked away. At the sound of his shifted, Martha pulled back from her would have been mother in law and turned to introduced the rest of the party.

"Julie," Martha said. "You remember my mother and sister?"

"Yes," The rave haired woman said and turned to greet her would have been in-laws, her eyes filled with tears again. "Francine…Tish…."

Francine stepped forward and a looked passed between the two women. They hugged. Though she had not lost a child of her own, Francine understood how this other woman could feel. She had come closed to losing her children once upon a time not too long ago, in a time that no one remembered expected for a few. She understood.

She stepped back and Tish stepped forward to give Julie a hug as well. Once she stepped back, the Irish woman eyes landed on the Doctor then looked to Martha. Her eyes read. 'Who is this bloke?'

"And that is the Doctor." Martha said then as if an afterthought she added. "Doctor John Smith. He is a friend of the family been away for a while. Came back when he heard."

Julie nodded and slowly composed herself.

"Hello. The name is Julie Elizabeth Milligan." She shook the tenth Doctor hand. "I would say it is a pleasure but as you know it is not a good time for me right now."

The Doctor nodded, a half smiled on his face. "It is alright."

Julie nodded removed her hands from his and allowed them into the penthouse. Martha entered first then her mother and sister then the Doctor.

"Where is Tom Senior?" Martha questioned as they took their place in the room. She, her mother and sister took a seat in a brown sectional sofa while the Doctor choose to stand instanced. Mrs. Milligan headed for the kitchen to prepare a bit of tea for her guests.

"Oh he left. He got a call a few minutes before you knock. It seems quite urgent. "She explained then smiled sadly at them. "I guess you must have missed him."

"Yeah." Martha said and the Doctor tuned out the voices as his eyes landed upon the photo on the right wall. For a second it seems the like the man in the picture had reached out as if the photo frame was a portal to another dimension and something was trying to get out then he had blinked and everything was back to normal again just like the painting in the lobby. The Doctor made to move toward the photo when he felt a hand grabbed his own and he turned to see Martha looking back at him. She signaled to her right and the Doctor noticed the cup of tea Mrs. Milligan held toward him. He smiled a bit, took it and thanked her. As he drank slowly, he made a mental note to check out the photo frame before they left.

* * *

**Author: Well here we are chapter 4. Um... For those living in the uk could you tell me if I got how the zip code thing work right or not because I am not sure. **


	5. Chapter 5

Ever the Same

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**Disclaimer:** Doctor Who does not belong to me. I am just borrowing the characters for a bit.

* * *

Chapter 5: Tom

She did not understood why he approached the paintings and photos of Tom with such interest but it unnerved her. Because she knew that expression upon his face as he glanced at each painting and photo upon the walls and she understood, more than anyone in the room what it meant. It was the one he made every time something related to aliens or monsters become known. And it unease and anger her greatly that he looked upon her Tom image with that expression. Because Tom was not an alien or a monster or something to study he was simply a normal bloke she had planned to marry who had loved her unlike him. Not everything was a mystery or about aliens. Tom was dead and though there was an alien involved it wasn't him. And she wished the Doctor would stopped because he was putting funny thoughts in her head.

Martha pressed her tea cup to her lips and took a sipped. 'Jack, this thing better be as bad as you say because I am not seeing It. He seems fine like always or pretending to be fine and getting on my nerves with his suggestions that my Tom was some sort of alien or monster.' she thought before she torn her eyes away from the alien and returned her attention to the conversation at hand, a frowned on her lips. Her sister raised her eyebrows at her expression but said nothing. To her right her mother and Julie continued their conversation about Tom childhood and youth as they looked at photos in the family album. They needed to decide which one to use for the service because the funeral home had requested a certain number, 25 to be exact, that could be used.

"How about this one?" Francine asked and pointed at an image of a young Tom in a doctor outfit for Halloween next to him stood his little brother dressed as a sick patient and his sister as a nurse. It was a bit ironic since she became the doctor while as he became the nurse and their brother followed after their father as a CEO of the family business.

Julie laughed at the photo mournfully. Her fingers lingered on it. It was one of the few photos he took in high school before he headed off to college and out of their lives. How she wished she had pushed for a bit more than this. She picked it up and added it to the image piled on the coffee table.

Martha placed her tea cup down and picked up a photo from the piled. It was an image of her and Tom at the beach with his family and her family. It was a picture taken a few days before he had headed for his first united nations Peace Corps mission to Africa just before the whole Sontaran business. Of course he returned back to England not long after that incident but had returned again because the calling to help others had been too strong.

She kissed the image of him and smiled a bit. Her golden hearted boy, always out to helped others the best way he knew how by healing them. And for that she loved him because unlike the Doctor he did not just dashed in saved the day and walked away leaving someone to clean up the mess he stay long after.

'I love you' she thought and a shape pain coursed through chest that rocked her body followed by a cold numbness that descended upon her. She shrived. 'I wished you were here with me and not dead. I miss you.'

An image of her fiancé smiling at her over a cup of tea drifted though Martha mind. It was one of the few memories she has of him before he had left for his fourth and last trip to Africa. The last memory was of him as he entered the airplane with a finial kiss blew her way.

"Oh! That is interesting!" The Doctor voice boomed into Martha mind and pulled her back to reality. Three heads turned his way and six pairs of eyes stared at him, waiting. When he said nothing and paid them no heed, Martha placed the photo down and asked.

"What is it Doctor?" She inquired though she rather not but she was always a curious sort of a person. "What is interesting?"

The Doctor turned her way and meet the six eyes. He frowned. He had forgotten their presence. He blinked. "What?!"

"You said 'Oh! That is interesting!' in that voice of yours that say I have discover something wonderful but coming from you one cannot always tell if it is something wonderful or something awful which you think is brilliant. So if you do not mind could you explained?"

He smiled then leaped into a lecture because he always loved to share his ideas and discovering with an audience. If he had not chosen to become a wander he would have become a teacher Martha thought as he begun to speak.

"Well…it is nothing really just did you know that each painting and photo in this building is inter dimensionally connected? And the strangest bit? They all seems to be connected to another dimensional as well. And a few seconds or was that minutes ago something flashing happen!"

"What?" Martha questioned as she stood and headed the Doctor way. Behind her Tish and Francine shared a looked neither happy with the turned of events. Julie Milligan just appeared confused.

"I don't know but that is not my concern. What concern me is why didn't I sense this gate way? This crack in time and space in this flat? What kept it out of my sight and hidden away?" The Doctor paused in his pacing. "And what will want to open up a way into this reality? Or can open up a way? The time lords sealed up the dimensions, the realities, from each other. This should not be happening."

Martha frowned looked at the painting beside her then turned the Doctor way. She saw no inter dimensional portal as the Doctor claim but he was alien and she was not. And since he was the Doctor she would give him the benefit of the doubt but his claims irked her. Because why here of all places? And why now? Why not later or before? Oh right because the Doctor never tried to learn about his companions outside of what he knew he about them during his times and travels with them and neither did he try to know about the people in their lives either. Not unless events called for it. "Rose opened up a way and came back."

"Yes," The doctor begun to pace again. "But everything close up back and returned to normal."

Tish stood up and joined the Doctor and Martha. "Are you sure?"

"What?!"

"Are you should it has something to do with monsters and aliens?" She asked her eyes on her sister. She did not liked the fact that on such a day as this the Doctor had to come with his monsters and aliens business. Didn't he know they did not need this? Her sister certainly did not. Behind her Julie looked to Francine and mouthed. 'Monsters and aliens?'

Tish continued. "Because I do not see any portals or whatever. So no monster and certainly no aliens just a bunch of paintings and photos."

"Well…"The Doctor begun but was cut of mid-sentence as a knock rippled through the penthouse. Julie thankful for something normal leaped up and headed for the door. She opened it and greeted.

"Hello?"

"Hello," A male voice greeted and Julie broke into tears. Before her stood her son, decked in a green jacket and black jeans, a smiled on his face. "Mother."

From inside the living room three voices echoed the same sentence as Julie hugged her son. "What?!

* * *

Sophia Pond stared at her cup of tea, and shook. Beside her Penny Love watched her a bit concerned.

"What's the matter with you?" She asked. "Looked like you seen a ghost or something." She said in a jokily manner as she took a seat by her work mate.

Sophia glanced up at her. Her green eyes hunted. "Do you remember Tom Milligan?"

"Senior or junior?"

"Junior."

"Yes. Why?"

"I just saw him outside in the lobby as I was heading here for lunch." Sophia answered and shrived.

"What?! Isn't he dead? I would have sworn he was dead."

"He is or so I was told."

"But…oh!"

"Yeah."

"Oh! You saw his ghost! But that is impossible! Ghosts do not exist!" Penny stood. "Aliens does but not ghost!"

"Yeah well you tried to explain to me what I just saw!"

* * *

**Author: And the plot thicken.**


	6. Chapter 6

Ever the Same

* * *

**Disclaimer:** Doctor Who does not belong to me. I am just borrowing the characters for a bit.

* * *

Chapter 6: Moonstruck

"What?!" Martha breathed as she watched the scene at the door entrance. Her mind numbed. Her body quivered. She could not processed a thought. It was as if she was in a sea and something was pressed against her mind. "It can't be!"

Large brown eyes and a smile turned her way. Julie felt her son disconnected from their hug and watched as he approached Martha. Tish and Francine share a looked, both confused and shock. Wasn't Tom dead? The Doctor just watched the scene and waited. He had not decided what to make of the matters just yet.

"Dove, you looked like you seen a ghost." Tom spoke jokily, arms extended for a hug and Martha felt something in her roused and she almost leaped forward into the man that looked like her love arms but she took a stepped back instanced. Life had taught her much and one of the lessons was always be caution. Because no matter how you looked at it Tom was dead. Unit members in Africa had confirmed it. Tom Milligan had been exterminated by the Daleks because he had refused to step outside of the Cline. He had been in the middle of helping out a patient when the Daleks had arrived and to leave and do as the Daleks commended could have cost the little girl her life. He had chosen to save the girl and had been killed in the process. So who the bloody did this man make believing to be her Tom come from?

The rave haired man arms fell down to his side and a puzzled looked crossed his face. "Martha?"

The dark skin woman hands tighten into a fist by her sides and she stared down her fiancé. "Don't," She spoke. "I do not know who you are but Tom Milligan is dead."

Tom stared at her perplexed even more. "But I am Tom Milligan and I am not dead." Then as if a thought stroke him he turned to his mother then Francine and Tish. Who looked at him just as confused. "Is this a joke? Because if it is it is not funny! See touch me!" He turned his attention back to Martha. "Touch me! Do ghosts have flesh? Or a heartbeat?"

Martha refused to and just continued to stare at him. "Yeah, well you made not be a ghost but you could certainly be a shape shifter for all I know," Her voiced raised a bit as she tried to fight the pressure in her mind and think. "Because Tom is dead!"

"What?! " He took a step back, a flash of hurt crossed his face. "But I am here."

"No. You are not." She answered and looked away, there was a cracked in her voice. Because this was what she wanted but knew it was impossible. Wishes and desires do not come true like this, nothing in the world can make it so Martha had learned that during her journey with the Doctor. "You are dead."

Francine finally stir from her disbelief at her daughter voice -so full of emotions-, approached her and engulfed her into a hug. Her baby girl was stay in distress. She had not processed yet though the older woman knew she was trying.

"Shh…" She whispered. "It is okay."

Tish taking cue from her mother approached as well and hug her baby sister, her heart a bit broken. Her sister had always been the rational one in the family but she had also had a bit of an innocence believe about reality to give things that may no sense the benefit of the doubt and believe in the impossible. However, since her Journey with the Doctor she had lost the rose colored glasses about reality and though the whole family had as well thanks to the year that never was it seems Martha more so then anyone.

The older Jones girl leaned her head on her mother shoulders and looked the Doctor way. He looked back, an unreadable expression on his face. In that instance Tish wished he had not met her sister.

From a cross the way Julie joined them as well after she cast a looked her son way and mouthed be patient.

"It's okay," She echoed Francine. "They were wrong."

At that Martha pulled back from the three women. She shook her head. "It can't be. There were witnesses who saw it happen. Saw the Dalek exterminate him. So how can he stay be alive and here?"

"I…" Julie looked to her son. She knew not the answers either but she was glad he was okay and here. The why, how and what did not matter. Her oldest son was home and alive not in a body bag like she had dread. In due time she knew she would have gotten her questions answered. They all could. Didn't Martha see that? "Tom?"

Tom took a step forward then paused. Ten pairs of eyes looked at him but his own only sorted out one, his fiancé. She stared back.

"Yes." He sighed and begun. "I did refused to leave until the girl was stable and the Dalek did attacked me but I was rescue by an unknown person who placed an energy field around us that shielded me and the child and before that thing could attack again it was call away. Afterward I left fearing for your safety and wanting to see you. And I do not know who said they were a witness to my death but no one else was inside the room expect for myself, the child and the Dalek. And the girl was unconscious. "

Julie smiled at the explanation. "See?" She said and looked from Francine to Tish and finally Martha. "Tom is alive."

Martha frowned and Tom took this as his cue and took a few more steps forward until he stood directly before Martha. He grabbed her hand.

He felt of flesh and warmth like her Tom and Martha felt her resolution waved. She quickly pulled her hand back but Tom grabbed it back and held it. He drew her near and hugged her. On old habit she hugged him back then it draw on her that her Tom was dead -and though this man who looked like her Tom her given a convincing tale of how he was alive she stay did not trusted him -and so she pulled back from him.

"Don't" The young Irish male said his hand stay connected to her and Martha felt her resolution waved because in all truth the man that stood before her looked and spoke like her Tom, her beautiful, magnificent Tom. He appeared so glinting and felt so magnetic. Martha raised her left hand all thoughts of caution fled her mind for a moment but only for a moment. She was not stupid. This was almost like the family of blood incident all over again. When her follow maid had been…

"What is the last thing I said to you before you left?" She questioned as her eyes searched his face. Tom looked down at her and smiled shyly. He leaned forward and whispered in her ears.

"You look very sexy in a suite, Mr. Milligan."

'What?' Martha for a moment felt confused because she all a sudden forgot what she had said. 'Is that what I said? I could have thought I said…' She wondered but then she felt a calm washed over her and the question vanished.

'Of course that is what I said,' She thought then buried her face in his chest and giggle, too shy to look up. Tom laughed as well before he lifted up her face and kissed her.

'Though his explanation did make a bit of sense,' Martha thought as she kissed him back. 'I will checked up on it later. He seems like he might be my Tom but I could be wrong' However, as before the thoughts quickly exist and was replaced with another that whispered. 'This is my Tom.'

Mrs. Milligan, Francine and Tish share a smiled with other. "God, I love happy endings." Tish whispered and the two women nodded.

* * *

The Doctor replayed everything back in his mind in slow motion and tried to comprehend what just took place and all he could muster was 'Something isn't right.' He looked crossed the room at the happy reunited couple of Tom Milligan and Martha Jones and cannot helped but wondered how she could not sense it. Tom had been dead. Hadn't he? And that explanation was rubbish. Did she not sense that? Even if she could not sense the pressure in the room?

The Doctor raised his eyebrows and noted for just a split second that Martha appeared to struggle with a thought but then it vanish and a peaceful looked took over her face. Something was not right. He needed to…

The 936 or 1030 year old alien cleared his throat and five pairs of eyes looked his way. He stared back.

"Oh, yeah," Martha said as she broke from Tom who refused to let her hands go. "Tom this is the Doctor, Doctor John Smith. You know the one I told you about who I travel with for a bit. And Doctor this is Tom, Tom Milligan, my fiancé."

"Hello," He nodded from where he stood.

Tom nodded back, a smiled on his face. He seems friendly and smell human but something seems off. "Hello."

There was silence as the two man stared at each other than…

"Well…" The Doctor shifted in his placed and turned his eye to Martha who moved toward him. Her face light up. For a second it was almost…it was almost as if she had reverted back to her old personality the one she had when he first met her. Not saying there was anything wrong with it of course but it felt off. He frowned.

"Yes Doctor?"

"I should be going." He muttered and glanced up at the ceilings then back at her." Dead fiancé. Not dead anymore. You know?"

"But you can't." Martha let go of Tom hands and grabbed his. Behind her Tom frowned. "You just came."

"Yeah." Tom placed his hands on top of Martha. "Stay a while. I have just met you."

"Yeah me too." Julie said the Doctor weirdness already forgotten.

"It's only polite." Tish said from where she stood by her mother. She looked regretful.

"Oh…but I have to you know…save the world and what not."

"But…"

"Martha..." Francine chide as she looked from the Doctor to her daughter. She seems to understand the Doctor discomfort.

"…Right…Yeah. Save the world and what not." She smiled sadly at him as he opened the door and walked out. It was when he stepped out and closed the door that it finally hit him what was off about Tom. The was a giant vortex in his back from which tentacles seems to emerged. He turned back and entered the flat again. Martha needed to be warned.

* * *

**Author: Well here is chapter 6. Thank you all who read and follow this story.**


	7. Chapter 7

Ever the Same

* * *

**Disclaimer:** Doctor Who does not belong to me. I am just borrowing the characters for a bit.

* * *

Chapter 7: Raised

Martha stared into space absence minded and slowly stirs her tea, her mind deep in thoughts. There was a slight frown upon her lips. A cross from her seated her mother and sister deep in thoughts about which colored along with design dress would look best on the bridesmaids at her upcoming wedding, a wedding that was moved to an earlier date than originally planned. A decision she had no clue as to how she ended up in agreement to. It was frighten to say the least. But then again a lot of things over the past two days were a bit unnerving. First the news of Tom death then the sudden appears of him at his parents flat as if nothing had happen. Second the Doctor weird forgetful behavior. Twice she had noted he had entered the Milligan flat that afternoon two days ago- after he had decided to leave -only to leave again confused as to why he returned. Third Unit own admission that the body they had bought back from Africa was not Tom Milligan but someone else despite the fact that the DNA they had ran the first time said that the body belong to Tom Milligan. They had made sure many times because she had not believed them the first time yet here they were with the statement that they had made a mistake. How do you make a mistake over something like that? Fourth the black outs in her memories she had become to notice that were not there before. And fifth the funny feelings she got that her thoughts were being rewritten or at least influenced.

The dark skin woman raised her cup to her lips and took a slip. And the funny thing was that she only got those feelings around her fiancé. Something was not right she knew that much but it could not be Tom. He wasn't a shape shifter. She had checked. He wasn't non-human. She had also checked on that as well with a bit of technology she had borrowed from Torchwood. His DNA sequence had shown human, completely and purely human. And that wasn't anything in his blood either. So why she felt the way she did or thought something was off was beside her because there was no explanation. Maybe…Maybe she was just stressed out or something like her mum had said. Or maybe… just maybe…

"Look Martha," Tish addressed her and Martha broke out of her thoughts. She allowed her eyes to look where her sister finger pointed. It was an image of a black and pink Lela Rose LX196 bridesmaid dress. "What do you think of this one? I think it is rather pretty and the color is not half bad."

The youngest Jones girl raised her eyebrows in a 'really? That is what you think is cute and pretty?' manner. "Tish…" She began. "What happen to the Alfred Sung D60 one? You know the really cute looking one that you liked a lot and decided I should go with instanced of the ones I had already decided on a while back? Because as you said earlier I quote 'Martha you have no sense of fashion' end quote."

Tish rolled her eyes at her sister and scowled. "Well you don't. " She said in her defense. "Just ask mum. Right mum?"

Francine who had been calmly turning the pages of the bridal magazine paused in her actions and looked up at her two daughters. "What?"

"Mum," Tish continued. "Please explain to Martha that she has bad taste when it comes to fashion. I mean didn't you said that the bridesmaids dress she had picked look awful? I mean who wears turtleneck dresses in the summer anyways?"

Martha looked from her sister to her mother, her mouth opened. "What? You thought my fashion sense for the dresses were awful? But they are so pretty how can you all not see that? The theme is simple but elegant."

"Well…"Francine begun but did not finish as music filled the room.

_I'm bringing sexy back_

_Yeah!  
Them other boys don't know how to act_

_Yeah!  
I think you're special, what's behind your back?_

_Yeah!  
So turn around and I'll pick up the slack._

_Yeah!_

It was Martha cell phone. Francine raised her brows at the music while Tish giggled from where she sat at her sister sudden discomfort. Sex and the discussion of their sexual lives or that they even had any sexual lives was stay a new topic between them and their mother. It was awkward to say the least. After all to her they were innocent girls and it was one of the reasons why she did not approved of the Doctor right away. She had saw him that day luring her daughter as the family had separated after Leo party, he had appeared too seductive for her taste and by the time she had returned they were gone. What was a mother to think? Or so she told them.

"Um…" Martha said not looking at either her mother or sister, too bashful to meet their eyes. She had forgotten to change the ring tone before she came over for afternoon tea at her mother's.

"Excuse me." Martha stepped out of room and headed toward her old room. She needed some privates. Her sister just laughed louder.

"Hello Jack?" She greeted as she pushed the down to her old room open, a half smile on her face. "What do I own the pleasure?"

"Beautiful," Jack greeted back. "Am I losing my sexiness?"

"What?" She replied as she took a seat on her old bed and giggled. She knew he wanted an update on the whole Doctor Issue but she had not had time. Things over the past two days had made it almost impossible for her to return his calls or even catch his calls or make up her mind on what she thought about the Doctor condition. And beside every time he called something had been up or someone needed her and by the time she got back to him it was too late he hanged up. But this was not what she would expect his call to be about. "Why do you ask?"

"I do not know," He said and sounded a bit dejected. "It just seems like I am losing my charm. I mean today I said hello to someone and nothing happen. She was really pretty too"

"Was she now?"

"Yeah. She would have look really good in a maid outfit. You know?" He trailed off and Martha could imagine him with that subtle smile on his face. "But anyways that is not the point because nothing happen and then there is you completely and totally not answering my calls. Nightingale you never not answer. No one never not answer unless it is the Doctor. So am I losing my sexy charm?"

Martha laughed louder. Sometimes Jack was just so… "No. No. Jack it is nothing like that. You are stay sexy and well it is that woman lost. No. No. You have not lost your charm. It is just Tom has return is all and I have been busy."

"Oh right I heard about that. How is the old boy and also when you say busy does that mean you have been making it like bunnies and finally making some little Marthas and Toms? And if so why wasn't I invited? I mean with a bit of ice cream we could have-"

"Jack behave!" Martha said and cut him off. "And focus! What is the matter? You kept on calling."

"Oh right. Have you spoken to him yet?" He asked his voice serious.

"Yeah."

"And?"

"Nothing. We did not have the time to have a heart to heart. My mom and Tish came over and I had other appointments to keep and before long Tom was back and he left before anything else could happen. I will try again but you know later once I have settle with the idea that Tom is not dead and got my bearing."

"Right. Sorry about…" Jack said and Martha knew he meant about the fact he had asked her to handle the Doctor when she had problems of her own.

"It's alright. You were concern and I am a big girl I would have handle it." She said quickly. "Oh! Before I forget. We have move the wedding to two weeks from now instanced of the six months mark. Tom said he wanted it out of the way since neither of us knows when another alien attack will happen and one of us ends up dead. So you know mark your calendar and don't miss it! "

"Right," There was a paused. "Isn't that too soon?"

"Yeah…"

"Then?"

"I don't know. That's just it. Jack I think something is wrong. I mean-" There was a knock on her door and Martha paused. The door opened and Tom walked in, all smiles, followed by her sister and mother.

"Look Martha," Francine said. "Tom is here and he bought lunch."

Martha nodded. "Right sorry Jack I have got to go."

She off her phone and stood. Tom approached her and hugged her. They kissed.

"What are you doing here?" Martha said a tad bit confused. She was stay on leave from work which is why she had come over to her mother place. However, Tom stay had work. Despite the fact that he had been pronoun dead than alive again and meant to be in Africa did not change the fact that the Royal Hospital were short on hand after the Daleks incident and needed all hands on deck. So they had called him in yesterday to work after they had made a few arrangements with the United Nations Peace Crop. "Your shift does not end until 6:00 this evening."

"Right, but it is my break so I decided to come over and have it with you."

"Isn't that romantic," Tish whispered and her mother nodded.

* * *

He was puzzled by it all. He did not understand it and that unsettled him. Twice he had entered the room and twice he had walked out his intend forgotten. The Doctor gently ran his palm over the book shelf in the Tradis Library, a soft frown on his face. It was liked nothing he had knowledge of or dealt with. He needed help and hoped there was something in the many books he had stock up that could help him. Because he had a bad feeling, a really bad feeling about the whole matter.

* * *

**Author: Okay I know this is not related to Doctor Who but did anyone see the Disney movie "Maleficent" trailer? It look so cool and that song just lovely.**


	8. Chapter 8

Ever the Same

* * *

**Disclaimer:** Doctor Who does not belong to me. I am just borrowing the characters for a bit.

* * *

Chapter 8: High

She woke up, a funny taste in her mouth. Something was not right. Tossing her blanket to the side, Martha sat up. Her eyebrows knitted together. She leaned forward and turned the lamp on her side of the bed on. The light filled the room, covering it in orange and yellow. The dark skin woman bit her lips as her eyes roamed the 12 by 15 room. There was the usual, the Oak wood dresser between the bathroom and closet door, the large mirror, her study desk, and chair between the closet and bedroom door, and the bookcase across from her. Yeah, the usual.

Martha sighed as she stood. There feeling stay there.

'Must have been my imagination,' she thought as she headed out of the room. She felt dehydrated. A bit of water would do her some good. Climbing down the stairs slowly, Martha hummed to herself softly. She had heard the song on the radio earlier that day. It was by some new artiest, Lana something. It helped clam her down a bit and eased her mind. Or rather it was supposed to but it wasn't helping.

Flicking the living room light on, the young woman stepped down onto the cold tile floor and almost had a heart attack. Standing before her, as pale as a ghost, stood her fiancé his eyes void.

"Tom!" Martha shouted, her voice trembling, as she leaned against the stairs rails to steady herself. She felt like slapping her soon to be husband. Was this his idea of a joke? Frightening her in the middle of the night? And how did he get in anyways without her hearing? Even if he had a key, she had turned on the house security. And though Tom was a lot of things a hacker he was not. So how did he enter without having her turned off the security system first? Either way there was something unsettling about him. "What are you doing here?"

Dark eyes turned her way and a sick smile speared across tin lips. Tom opened his mouth and…

"Darkness shall fall. The winds of flame will come, I shall rule and you will sleep forever." He said then laughed. His voice sounded like ice-cold water against her ears. It was quite uncomfortable. Martha took a stepped back and blinked. Maybe she had heard wrong. Her Tom would never say such strange things.

"What?" She whispered as she wonder if it was April 1st or something.

"You shall die my beautiful dove." He said again and took a step toward her. Martha took another stepped back, her mind in overdrive. The unease feeling in her stomach increased. "Your pretty little neck broken and your body mined beyond believe."

He breathed, stretched out his arm, and touched her face. "So beautiful what I shall do to you. So lovely."

Dark eyes stared into hers' and Tom smile increased. Martha felt her blood ran cold. Whatever doubt she had that her fiancé was joking vanished, without thinking Martha turned and ran back up there stairs. Her military training and time with the Doctor kicked in. She had never been frighten of her future husband as she was at the moment.

Tom laughed echoed after her.

"Think!" Martha muttered to herself as she reached the last stairs. "Right. I need to hide or at least find a way out of the house. Then I should call the Doctor or Jack. They should know what to do. This has non-human written all over it. Can't called Unit they will shoot first ask questions later."

Pushing the door to her bedroom opened, the young doctor entered her bedroom and locked the door behind her. It will not keep him out for long but it will buy her some time. She hoped.

Quickly heading to her beside cover, the young woman searched for her cell phone. She found it on the floor. She picked it up and quickly scan though the numbers for the Doctors'. Once she found it, Martha dialed the number.

It took two rings before a voice answered.

"Sorry. The Doctor here. I am not in right now. Most likely saving the universe or something. Please leave your name and I shall return your call later. Thank you."

Martha rolled her eyes, of course when you needed him he was not around. Outside her bedroom door she heard a thud sound followed by another. Tom was trying to break down the door. Judging by his side, weight, and past actions, the young Jones girl knew she had five minutes to call for help and escaped the room. Good thing there was a tree by her window. It would make her escape easy. She had hoped there wouldn't be a need for a climb and the Doctor would appeared with his Tradis instanced. However, that plan was out the window now.

Offing her phone, Martha pressed her lips together and begin to paced as the noise outside her door increased.

"Right, change of clothes and money," She said to herself. She could not just show up at her family place in her night grown. It would worry her mum. She could handle this. She has handle worst situation then this before. However, she needed to distance herself first, to think about what to do, why her fiancé would attack her.

Martha tossed off her nightclothes, headed into her closet, grabbed a few outfit put them on, grabbed her purse and headed for her window. She reached it, bended over and began to lift. The window refused to move. Cursing under her breath, Martha grabbed the nearest thing to her and smashed it against the glass. She had forgotten about the security lockdown that was in effect. Nothing happen. She smashed her medical book against the glass repeatedly.

"Come on," She yelled. "Come on!"

As the window finial caved in to allow her enough space to let her escaped there door to her bedroom broke down and in stepped Tom.

"Oh Martha," He said his head crocked to the side. "Ready to die?"

Without stopping to clear away the glass as she planned, Martha stepped though the crack and onto the old tree bench outside her window. A few glass graced her flesh but she did not cared she would take care of it later. What she needed to do was leave, put a distance between her and her fiancé.

She took a few caution steps forward upon the branch, careful not to fall. Despite the fact she was trying to escape she knew she had to be careful. The tree was old. Behind her Tom rolled his eyes at her action. He punched his fist though the window and climbed after her.

His fingers drifted to her neck and tighten, Martha felt a burning in her chest, and she begun to struggle, clawed against the fingers around her windpipes forgetting about being caution then….nothing.

* * *

Martha grasped as she pulled out of the darkness that her engulfed her. Around her, she could hear voices. It sounded like her mother, sister, and Tom. Martha slowly lifted her head and blinked. She was lying in bed, in her old room in her parents' house. Over her stood her mother, sister, and Tom deep in a conversation their backs to her. Martha closed her eyes and pretended to stay be unconscious, her heart beating violently in her chest as she tried to figure out what was going on.

"So you are saying you found her outside on the front lawn?" She heard her mother asked.

"Yeah,"

"Dear, Jesus!"

"Yeah,"

"There are bruises on her," Tish spoke though it sounded like a question more so then a statement. "How did she get them?"

"I don't know. I had only gotten there this morning and found her like this. "

Martha eyes snapped open and she sat up at his statement, her plans to remind silence forgotten. How could he claim to know nothing when it was he who had led her to have to make the choice to passed through her broken window.

"What?" She said and six pairs of eyes turned her way. Her eyes however zoom in on one, Toms'. What she saw as she stared at him left her grasping for air. Before her stood her Tom, the one she always knew, his eyes full of light, and a gentle smile on his face. He appeared nothing like the man she encountered the night before. There one who had tried to… Martha swallowed. Had she hallucinate there whole thing? No! That was impossible! She remembered it as clear as day.

"Oh thank God," Tom said quickly coming to her side. "I was so worried" He whispered and stroked her cheeks.

"Tom…" She begins as she searched his eyes for any realization. "Darkness shall fall. The winds of flames shall come."

She found none. Tom just stared at her blankly; a puzzled upon his face.

"Is that Shakespeare?" He questioned and Martha felt her heart sank.

* * *

Author Note: I am like so sorry for the late update but college life has begin once more for me. Anyways I hope you enjoy this latest chapter.


	9. Chapter 9

Ever the Same

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**Disclaimer:** Doctor Who does not belong to me. I am just borrowing the characters for a bit.

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Chapter 8: High

"You know I never did understood Doctor," Jackson said as the two men strolled toward the Tradis. "But why did you come to the year 1851? I mean all of time and space and you choose this year?"

The ten Doctor paused in his walked and frowned a bit, he wondered if he should tell the older man his reasons but then thought better of it. "Oh you know. Nothing much really was just following a led to figure out a puzzle that was all."

"A puzzle? A puzzle of what sort?" Jackson questioned. "Maybe I could help."

The Doctor looked at him for a while then shook his head and continued forward. "No…it's alright. You have had enough adventures you said so yourself. Sorry. But thanks for the dinner and take care."

"Right take care Doctor," Jackson said and watched as the tall skinny alien entered the blue police box. "Hope you fine what you are looking for."

* * *

The Doctor turned a few knobs on the Tradis monitor, Jackson question stay fresh in his mind. Yeah it was a bit strange that he had chosen the year 1851. Yeah, all of time and space and he picked this time. But it wasn't an accident. No far from it. He had picked it because in one of his books there was something in there about dimensions and forgotten history. So he had come to looked. But instanced of what he found in Martha fiancé parents flat, he found Cybreman and though the was a crack in the universe that allowed them to cross over from the void and Peters world it wasn't exactly what he searched for. This was different and what he knew was in Tom parents flat was different. It was more…older and rawer.

'Well…off to Zetayadasa 67,' He thought and placed in the coordinates. It was the second clue he had on his list. Among his books there was one that spoke of cracks and dark beings who even the Time Lord fear from a time before time, from the pre universe era. He hoped this time he could find what he was in searched of instanced of it been another bust like the 1851 one.

* * *

Martha watched her soon to be husband from where she sat danced around like a fool in front of the children as he read out loud from the fairy tale "Peter Pan", a soft smiled on her lips. He was acting out the part where Peter was trying to catch his shadow. The children laugher filled the book store and Martha feels an ache in her heart. He was so beautiful. Her Tom. Yet…

"Peter leaped at his shadow once more!" Tom said and model the scene. Yet there were moments she had begun to notice that wasn't liked him. That wasn't so beautiful. Liked the way his eyes would go dull and he would say things that were just a bit hurtful and off to her mother and sister, to her friends and her coworkers. Liked the way he seems to sometimes look down upon the human race during a fit of rage and promised to one day destroy them all. Of, course he never remembered any of it afterward and she had begun to noticed neither did the others around them sometimes. It was almost as if time, and memories were being rewritten on the spot and only she could remembered what once was. Well… sometimes. She knew it wasn't aliens or monsters but yet… What? She did not know. It was frighten.

Martha placed a string of locks behind her ears and sighted. It was frighten to have to deal with something so unknown and so close to home. Give her a Dalek or the Master or some evil alien out to conquer the world and she would know what to do. They were clean cut. Black and White. But this? This was not something as clear cut as what she dealt with on a daily basic or with the Doctor. Because this was someone close to her, someone she knew not some being she would never see or hope to meet again. Not someone she did not have breakfast with or kiss or planned out a future with. Not someone she did not loved and was in love with. So yeah this was different, different then what she was used to because even if she took into consideration the incident with Jenny her follow maid being taken over by the family of blood stay it did not compare because she was not that close or that one time when the Doctor was possessed by the Clade in 1800's America and she had to kiss him to bring him back to himself. None of it compared. Because with those two incident she had knew it wasn't as close to home and short so she knew what to do. Even during the year that never was she had not been as unsure on how to process because none of her family had been part of the Master team or at least not for long. So it was clear cut. Her, earth, against them. But this she was unsure of because on one hand it was Tom, her soon to be husband, and on the other hand something else that only she seems to notice sometimes.

Martha sighed again. On one hand she could face it, whatever it was and lose Tom or tried to figure out a way to defeat this thing without hurting her love but stay lose him. Because no matter how she saw it no matter which choice she picked she would lose him. Even if, God forbid, she allowed this to continue she would lose him. She was already losing him bit by bit already and it pains her because he had just returned. Not too long ago he had been dead to her and now alive again. It pains her greatly because she did not know if she could face it again, the cold numbness she felt that day when she had heard the news.

"Miss Jones?" A soft voice interrupted her thoughts and pulled her back to reality. The dark skinned woman looked to her right at the young nurse who had come to stood by her. She give the young brunette a smiled and answered.

"Yes? Nurse Lena?"

"Doctor Brown would like to have a word."

"Dr. Brown? Oh! Paul! What does he want?" Martha question as she stood. She did not know the reason why the other Doctor wanted to speak with her she wasn't resident anymore but she guess he had high hopes to get her back. He wasn't the first. Others had tried to get her to returned since they were short on men and all. It wasn't that she did not want to return but she did not have time. Between her returned back to work at Unit and plans for her upcoming wedding she just was busy.

Lena looked down at her clipboard, non-interested. "Same thing as everyone Miss Jones. I supposed. Are you coming?"

"Yes. I supposed." Martha said, waved goodbye at her fiancé who winked back once their eyes met and exist the book store. Her lips in a frown and her eyebrows knitted in deep thoughts.

* * *

Sergeant Roger rewind the video tape again, a soft frown on his lips. He did been on watched on the Jones-Milligan placed for while now, five days to be exact, as he waited for the Doctor to appeared again. And he had noticed something during that time. Tom Milligan did not registry on any of the surveillance tapes he had gather of the couple over the pass days. The first time it had happen, he had thought it was a equipment malfunction so they had changed the equipment. The second time he noticed he had thought something was wrong with the field agent. However when all of his agents had bought back video tapes with the same images, Martha Jones but no Tom Milligan, it begin to irks him. So he had gone in person himself to do the job because if you wanted something done you had to do it yourself. Now though here he stood before his own tapes knowing that Tom should be there yet not seeing him. It was so unnerving and it send shrives down his spine.

"George," Rogers called his second in command who quickly entered the room.

"Yes. What is it?"

"He's not on there."

"Yeah, I know sir."

"He's…He's just not on there."

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**Author: This happens right after the Next Doctor episode and if anyone is wondering when the incident of Martha kissing the Doctor in 1800's America took place well…it is from a Doctor Who novel called "Peacemaker." Just you know if anyone is wondering. It's a good book. Also I think I will add a bit more to this chapter later because it just seems so short but I can't really think of what to add so you guys get this instanced for now.  
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